Sena chief slams state government for neglecting Marathwada

Jalna: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray lambasted Maharashtra`s ruling Congress-NCP coalition government for its failure to tackle drought in Marathwada region, addressing a public meeting here on Sunday.

He said that ministers from the Marathwada region have no moral right to be in cabinet as they have failed to give succor to the region`s drought-hit people. He asked Jalna district`s guardian minister Rajesh Tope to resign from the cabinet for the stepmotherly treatment to Marathwada region.

Uddhav hit out Union Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his comments on "Hindu terror" and asked why Shinde did not take any action if he had proof.

He hit out at Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi for the hate speech and said that the Shiv Sena would not tolerate such threats.

He demanded a waiver of farmers` debt, electricity bills and students` fees. He assured that if a Sena government came to power, he would waive off their debt and electricity bills.

"Simply clapping and making slogans are not enough. You must elect Sena in 2014 election," he told the people.

He alleged that Sharad Pawar and his party have committed irregularities in irrigation and still doing this. He said that Pawar did not visit drought-hit Marathwada.

Thackeray alleged that the Congress and the NCP fight not for the people and only for power and money. He hit out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi, PM Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for ignoring the drought situation and sanctioning meagre relief packages.

"Can Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi attract such a mammoth gathering," he asked, alleging that the Congress lured money with people to attend its rallies.